Want Burien to Have an Off-Leash Dog Park? Here’s How YOU Can Help…

UPDATE 8/27/12: Kellie Bassen informs us that the proposed location for a new off-leash dog park is actually Hilltop Park, located at 2600 S. 128th Street. Previously we reported it as Hazel Valley Park.

BTB Reader Kellie Bassen wants everyone to know that she’s trying to spearhead an effort to organize volunteers for a steering committee in order to convert Hazel Valley Park Hilltop Park into an official off-leash dog park.

Kellie is looking for other Burien residents who are dog owners (or dog lovers) and are willing to give some time to this worthwhile effort.

“Burien is in need of an off-leash park where the city might even have dog-centric events in the future!” she told The B-Town Blog. “Dogs love to run and socialize…and so do their owners. Proper fencing, landscaping and a small agility course would be needed. As well as signage and a bag dispenser.”

Kellie adds:

“We are in need of 6-8 people (or more!) and will be getting together for a discussion next Thursday (Aug. 30) at 11 a.m. at Burien Press.”

For more information, or to join this movement, please email Kellie Bassen: kbassen@comcast.net.

Comments

All of Burien’s parks are off-leash parks. No one has been issued a ticket for a dog off leash in years. If you need a securely fenced area so your dog won’t escape, just use the tennis courts at Lake Burien School Park like everyone else does.

I do go to Lake Burien School Park often with my dog, It’s a great place, but there are no dog amenities…such as an agility course. Also, when I go and someone is there off leash, they usually immediately leash up and leave. As a result, there is little socialization, which is important when raising family dogs.

It is more about having a community place for the pooches and owners, like at Grandview Park.

Also, the location seems fitting since most of that area is alreay fenced off, but the park isn’t central enough. A place closer to downtown burien would get a lot more attention since people living in the area are more likely to have a need for it. Appartment renters and people with small yards are the ones that use dog parks.

Aren’t all Burien parks off-leash? I’d love to get behind this if it meant I could go to Lake Burien School Park without having off-leash dogs running up to me, my children, and my on-leash dog. For some reason I doubt having an “official” off-leash park is going to help with that.

Carrie, I agree 100%……seems like every time I’m there with my dog (on a leash), some other off-leash dog comes up and picks a fight; yet when you get after the owner, they curse, flip you off and start yelling – and you know they never pick up the dog’s mess, either.

Again I say we need to get rid of CARES and go back to KCAC.When king county was in charge of animal control I had officers come up to me in parks more than once with a warning to put my dog on a leash.I am to scard of all the off leash dogs to even go to the parks because they want to fight with my leashed dog.No I don’t want an off lease park I want KCAC back!

I don’t know what the laws are in the city of Burien regarding leashes, my husband and I just assumed it was a law and acted accordingly. I don’t know that having an official off leash park would solve that particular issue, Carrie. I would hope it helps.

I’d love for this to be a positive thing for our community, this isn’t CARES. This is residents like me wanting a place for the dogs to go socialize off leash. I’m willing (and several others already) to put my time and energy into making something really cool for dogs.

Hazel Dell Park is ALREADY an off leash park or at least that is how everyone already uses it and have been for years. I love sitting on my deck watching the dogs play in the park.

I would strongly advise AGAINST leaving anything there or building structures there. Anything you leave out there will get ruined. On a regular basis there are kids with motorbikes running through there. We also had a bunch of 20somethings camping out there partying all night long a couple of weeks ago. Gang tagging and vandlism has gotten really bad since the drug dealers moved in on 128th at the end of the park. (yes, we have reported them. No, the cops have not been able to prove anything yet. Their landlord doesn’t care because they pay their rent every month.)

Yes, having more regular use of the park will help some of that, however, you should be prepared for anything left/built there to be ruined.

I came from Seattle which has some great off leash parks, and I would love to support one in Burien. So far, all I’ve seen are indoor facilities that are expensive and dreary.
It would have to be divided into small dog-big dog areas. I am willing to help with planning.